


Ain’t Wasting No More Time

by Spikedluv



Category: Primeval
Genre: Character Death Fix, Community: smallfandomfest, First Time, Fix-It, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-01
Updated: 2011-02-01
Packaged: 2017-10-15 07:04:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/158298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spikedluv/pseuds/Spikedluv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick and Stephen meet again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ain’t Wasting No More Time

**Author's Note:**

> You ever have an idea that won’t leave you alone until you write it? Yeah. Post-Episode 3.03 fix-it fic. Written for the Fifth Fest at Small Fandoms Fest using the prompt: Nick/Stephen, we meet again, and for Small Fandoms Flashfic Challenge #32: Destined.
> 
> Title taken from the song Here I Go Again performed by Whitesnake.
> 
> Written: July 28, 2009

  


Nick swam to consciousness and braced himself for the pain he knew would soon make itself known. He’d felt himself slipping away, but for some reason it appeared that he wasn’t dead yet. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Connor hovering over him, tears pooling in grief-stricken eyes. Instead, he saw Stephen gazing down at him, his face creased with concern and sorrow.

Oddly, Nick thought he sensed a hint of happiness behind the other emotions. Either he was hallucinating, or he _was_ dead. Nick felt silly voicing the thought, but he had to ask. “Are you an angel?”

Stephen’s smile at that was weak. “No, I’m not an angel. Far from it. Oh, Nick,” Stephen said. He reached out and touched Nick’s face. “You aren’t supposed to be here yet. What happened?”

Not a hallucination then, but certainly Stephen could see the gaping wound in his chest? Aloud he said, “Helen shot me. She’s gone mad, Stephen.”

“Yeah, I worked that out myself,” Stephen said, his tone wry.

Just as his mind finally registered the fact that the excruciating pain he’d expected hadn’t hit (though it wouldn’t if he were dead, would it?), Nick glanced at his surroundings and realized that he was no longer in the ARC, surrounded by the detritus of the explosion. Instead they were outside, and he was sitting on the ground, his back pressed to the trunk of a very tall tree.

“Where are we? If it’s Heaven, it looks an awful lot like England. Tell me I’m not meant to spend the rest of eternity wandering the Forest of Dean.”

Stephen smiled fully for the first time since Nick had opened his eyes. “We’re in a place that is very similar to England. About the same level technologically, though they’re behind on some things, ahead on others.”

Without explaining things further, Stephen said, “Captain.” Though he was still looking right at Nick, his hand still on Nick’s shoulder where it had fallen after he’d touched Nick’s face, Nick could tell that Stephen was speaking to someone else. “We need a beam out. Two, directly to the infirmary.”

Someone must have replied, because Stephen squeezed Nick’s shoulder and said, “Don’t be afraid.”

Sparkling lights flickered in front of Nick’s eyes, and then everything went dark. When Nick woke, he was lying in a hospital bed, Stephen dozing in the chair he’d pulled close enough so his hand could rest on Nick’s arm. Nick stirred, and Stephen’s eyes immediately fluttered open.

Smiling, Stephen leaned forward, his fingers gently curling around Nick’s forearm. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

Nick thought that was an odd question to ask a dying man (or a dead one), but he took a moment to think about it before answering. “Fine,” he said, surprised. “I feel fine. What happened?”

“You fainted.”

Nick glared at Stephen, who’d sounded far too amused. “Passed out,” he countered. “From blood loss, I’m sure.”

Stephen’s lips twitched, though his eyes still held a hint of sadness. “Of course.”

“What I meant, was, why aren’t I dead?”

Stephen’s expression turned serious. “You are. Back home.”

“But not here.”

Stephen shook his head. “Not here.”

“Why not?”

“No one’s been able to figure that out, yet. Best we can tell, it has something to do with the anomalies.”

Nick swore. Blasted anomalies! “Tell me what you do know,” he said.

His voice cracked and Stephen poured him a glass of water, holding it until Nick proved he was able to hold it himself. Nick was surprised at how thirsty he was. Only when Nick was settled back on his pillows did Stephen begin speaking.

“It appears that, when we’re close to death, prior exposure to the anomalies, specifically the magnetic field they emit, diverts us from whatever afterlife we might have been headed for, and sends us here. Assuming, of course, that there is an afterlife; maybe it actually saves us from oblivion. Whatever the case, it gives us a second chance at life.”

Nick studied Stephen’s face for any hint that he was joking, then said, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Stephen shook his head. “Everyone here has had contact of some sort with an anomaly; it’s the only common denominator. And they were all near death just moments before they woke up here.”

Nick couldn’t quite wrap his head around that, so he said, “Do people come here to die, then?”

Stephen shook his head. “No one dies here. In fact, by whatever process we end up here, we’re not only completely healed, we’ve been given fresh, new bodies to begin our fresh, new lives.”

Nick pushed the blanket down until he could tug at his hospital gown, pulling it aside to check the damage to his chest. The wound was not only completely healed, as Stephen had said, but his chest didn’t even show a trace of the wound. No scab, no scar.

“Not a mark on them,” Stephen said, as if he could read Nick’s thoughts.

Nick remembered the shock when Helen had shot him, the pain blossoming in his chest, the weakness that spread throughout his body. The blood on his hands. And then he remembered Stephen -- locking the door behind him, standing there looking at Nick as the predators circled him, the screams as he was torn apart.

He looked at Stephen, now whole and unmarked, but who (if everything he’d said was true) must remember every excruciating moment of the attack that had killed him, and reached for him. “Oh, Stephen.”

“Yeah,” Stephen said, letting Nick take his hand, “they, whoever they are, can erase the teeth and claw marks, but they can’t take away the nightmares.”

Before they could speak any further of it, there was a soft knock on the door, and then it was pushed open. Captain Ryan stuck his head into the room and said, “Sorry to bother you, Stephen, but Bates has his shorts in a twist.”

Nick’s jaw dropped. “Captain Ryan.”

Ryan looked at Nick, smiled and nodded. “Professor Cutter. It’s good to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“You, too.”

“We’ll be right out,” Stephen said. “I was just filling Cutter in a bit before throwing him to the wolves.”

Ryan smiled, and he looked a bit wolfish himself. “I’ll wait outside.”

When he’d gone, Stephen said, “Bates runs ARI, the Anomaly Research Institute. He’ll want to speak to you; he speaks to everyone as soon as he can after they’ve arrived.”

Stephen opened the cupboard and withdrew a pile of clothes. He placed them on the bed. “I remembered your size. Do you need help?” At Nick’s confused look, he added, “You’re not dying, but you still might be a little weak from your trip.”

“My trip?” Nick shook his head at the wording. “Makes it sound so mundane.”

Stephen shrugged, as if he didn’t know what to say to that.

Nick pushed the covers back and swung his legs over the edge of the mattress. Stephen turned his back to give him some privacy, but stayed close enough that he could offer assistance should Nick require it.

Once Nick was dressed, they were escorted to Bates’ office by Captain Ryan and three other soldiers. Nick had a feeling that he should recognize at least one of them, but before Ryan’s death he’d paid the soldiers assigned to protect them little mind.

Before they reached their destination, the shriek of an alarm filled the air. Stephen looked interested, but not overly concerned; the soldiers managed to continue looking bored.

“What is that?” Nick asked. “It sounds like . . . .”

“Anomaly detector,” Stephen confirmed.

Nick’s feet froze to the floor. “Wait, what . . . ? You have anomalies here?”

“Yes.” Stephen paused, waiting for Nick to catch up. “We seem to be on some kind of anomaly fault line.”

“Do any of them . . . ?”

“Go back home? No. Truth is, we don’t even know how we all got here. If it’s an anomaly, it doesn’t set off the detector.”

That brought Nick up short. So far, everything about this world had supposedly been tied to the anomalies. “Then how did you find me?”

“Everyone arrives at the same coordinates,” Stephen explained, “so we monitor the area.”

At the next juncture, Stephen gripped Nick’s sleeve between his fingers and turned left instead of right. Captain Ryan and his man behind them kept pace, but the two soldiers who had been in the lead were forced to execute an about face and catch up with them.

They ended up on a balcony of sorts, looking down over the staging area, which was teeming with activity. Nick knew from experience that it was running like a well oiled machine, no matter how chaotic it appeared.

“Do you have to be down there?”

“No, my shift ended while you were recovering from your faint.”

Nick turned an unamused expression on Stephen, but he couldn’t hold it in the face of Stephen’s smile. After they watched two trucks full of equipment and ARI personnel pull out, Stephen led them back the way they’d come.

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Stephen said.

“Luckily, I have some experience with that,” was Nick’s dry response.

It did feel similar to the time that Nick had ended up in a world that didn’t have a woman called Claudia Brown in it, except this time he wasn’t responsible for anyone popping out of existence. Plus, there was the added benefit of not having his friends and colleagues thinking he was mad.

Nick took comfort in the fact that Stephen was with him, walked close enough to him that their arms brushed. It felt familiar, and took Nick back to how it had been before he’d screwed it all up. Stephen had been there for Nick, always, and there had been times when Stephen had finished Nick’s thoughts, had appeared to know what Nick needed before Nick knew it. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed that.

Nick’s world had been turned on its head once more, and in the muddle he’d not had time to think about the fact that he had Stephen back. Nick stole a glance at Stephen, only to find Stephen sneaking a glance of his own. They both laughed, and it felt amazing.

Nick hadn’t laughed, really laughed, since he’d stepped through the anomaly with Helen all those months ago to discover that something they’d done had changed the world. And he’d become less likely to smile, much less laugh, after Stephen’s death at the hands -- claws -- of the creatures.

But now, it felt as if a great weight had been lifted from Nick’s soul, and he could feel joy again. “I’ve missed you, Stephen.”

Momentary surprise passed over Stephen’s face (probably more at Nick’s honesty than the sentiment itself), and then he smiled and gently jabbed Nick with his elbow. “I’ve missed you, too, Cutter.”

Nick was still riding the high of his reunion with Stephen when they turned into an office. There was a desk, but the man that belonged to it (Nick surmised) was comfortably ensconced on the sofa, reading through a stack of reports. He glanced up at Stephen’s light knock, then dropped the papers on the coffee table and rose to his feet.

“Stephen, it’s good to see you again. And you must be Professor Nick Cutter. Edward Bates.” Bates introduced himself, then held out his hand.

Bates wasn’t what Nick had expected after Lester. It wasn’t so much the fact that he was shorter, or that he wore corduroys, but the smile that threw him. Nick glanced at Stephen, who was biting his lip to keep from smiling, as if he was reading Nick’s mind. Just like old times.

It felt good to be on the same page as Stephen after being so off kilter those last months.

After they shook hands, Bates indicated that they should take a seat. “I know this must be difficult for you.”

Nick nodded and agreed, but the odd thing was, it hadn’t been difficult. From the moment he’d ‘woken’ and seen Stephen, things had been easy, like everything had fallen back into place. Stephen’s hand on Nick’s shoulder drew him out of his reverie.

“We’ll continue this later,” Bates said, and Nick looked from him to Stephen’s face, which bore an expression of concern and fondness.

"Do you need a place to stay?” Bates asked.

“I’ve got room,” Stephen said, not taking his eyes off Nick.

“Well, if that’s all right with you, Professor . . . .”

“It is.”

Nick stood, and shivered as Stephen’s hand slid down his arm before being withdrawn.

“Come on,” Stephen said, “you could probably do with a meal.”

Nick’s stomach growled at the suggestion. “And a shower. I know this body is new, but I still feel like I’m covered with dust from the explosion at the ARC.”

“You’ll have to tell us about that,” Bates said, “after you’ve had a chance to settle in,” and while it didn’t sound like a threat, Nick knew he’d be telling Bates and Stephen all about Helen’s latest hijinks. Sooner rather than later.

“Forewarned is forearmed,” Bates said, with a glance at Stephen that told Nick Stephen had been put through such a debriefing himself when he’d first arrived.

“What is this place called?” Nick asked, suddenly realizing that he knew very little about this new world (dimension?) he found himself in.

“The world is called Osiris, for obvious reasons; ARI is located just outside a city called New Athens. Stephen will give you a brief history, I’m sure, the rest you’ll learn in class.”

Nick’s head came round. “Class?”

Bates smiled apologetically. “Sorry. You appeared to be falling asleep, otherwise we’d have covered the basics of ‘Finding Yourself in a New Dimension 101,’ but yes, you’ll be required to take a class that will introduce you to . . . your new circumstances.”

“Think of it like becoming a citizen of another country,” Stephen supplied.

“What about a job?” Nick said, suddenly realizing how out of his depth he was.

“There’ll be interviews and some tests, but given your work history with the ARC and having several people here who can vouch for your credentials, I’m sure we’ll be able to streamline the process, and I know there’s a place here at ARI for you, if you want it.”

“Why wouldn’t I want it?”

“Not everyone who worked with the anomaly program in their previous . . . incarnation, are interested in continuing in that capacity once they’re here. They want a clean break to go with their fresh start.”

Nick hadn’t considered how other people might feel, coming here. Granted, if everything Stephen said was true, they were close to death before they were brought over, but once here, with the prospect of their entire life (another entire life) ahead of them, many might not be able to adjust, might not be able to forget all that they’d left behind.

Which reminded Nick of the people _he’d_ left behind, of Abby and Connor, Lester and Sarah. Being reunited with Stephen had eclipsed everything, from the details of his new circumstances, to the friends and colleagues he’d never see again. He hoped that Becker was watching out for Connor; god knew the boy needed looking after.

Nick managed to nod his understanding. However, while he was glad to be given the opportunity of a fresh start with Stephen, the last thing he wanted was a clean break from being able to study the anomalies. Especially given that the ARI, from what little Nick had seen, seemed better prepared for them.

Nick looked at Stephen. He almost couldn’t believe his luck, being given this second chance.

On the drive to Stephen’s home, Stephen said, “I hope you don’t mind.”

Nick gave him a questioning look.

“I didn’t ask what you’d prefer, I just assumed . . . Would you rather a hotel?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Stephen,” Nick said, his exasperation and the touch of fear that maybe Stephen hadn’t been as happy to see him faded when Stephen smiled, his eyes never leaving the road.

“Just making sure.”

They were silent the rest of the drive, but it was a comfortable silence, and Nick used the time to take in what he could see of his new home. It was strange, the familiarity of it, even knowing he was in a completely different place. Yet everything still felt a bit off, as if he was seeing (feeling) things through glasses with an old prescription.

Before Nick realized the passage of time, they were slowing, and turning into a short driveway that ended at a two-car garage connected to a two storey house.

“You bought a house?”

Stephen shrugged, and Nick thought he looked a little embarrassed, though Nick didn’t know what he had to be embarrassed about.

“Got tired of living in a tiny flat, I expect,” Stephen said as he opened the door and slid out of the truck, which proudly bore the ARI logo on both front doors.

Nick figured you didn’t need to keep the anomalies a secret from people who were already aware of them. He wondered briefly, whether things might have been different back home if they’d gone public, as Stephen had wanted to do. Would the initial chaos and fear have been worth it, if it led to this, a world that treated the anomalies as an everyday danger, such as looking both ways before crossing the street, or knowing whether you should close the shutters and wait it out, or head to higher ground when a hurricane was headed your way.

“It’s not that simple,” Stephen said.

“Did I say that out loud?”

Stephen shook his head. He didn’t say it, that he’d just been able to tell what Nick had been thinking. He didn’t have to. Nick let himself bask in that for a moment, having someone who knew him so well.

As they walked to the front door, Stephen said, “Just because people have been exposed to an anomaly doesn’t mean they think they’re a good thing. There have been protests, and some good men and women have been killed.”

“God, Stephen!”

“We’ve all been given a second chance here, but not everyone takes it. It’s not utopia, Nick. People lie and cheat and kill and steal . . . .”

Once inside the house, Stephen gave Nick a quick tour of the ground level so he knew where to find everything; living room, kitchen and dining area, bathroom, and office. There were two desks in the office, the surface of one covered with folders and papers, a pencil holder, a stapler, and a laptop stand. The other was clear.

“Do you live with someone?” Nick asked, his heart dropping like a stone at the thought.

“No,” Stephen said, but he stood with shoulders a bit hunched, arms folded defensively (protectively? Nick wondered) across his chest.

“There were two recliners in the living room, and there are two desks in here,” Nick mused aloud.

It’s yours,” Stephen said softly, “if you want it.”

“Mine?” Nick repeated dumbly.

“Only if you want it,” Stephen said. “When I realized that you’d be coming here, I mean, I knew it would be a while, _thought_ it would be a while, you know, you don’t have to, of course . . . .”

“Stephen,” Nick said. “Shut it.”

Nick gave Stephen a little shove, and eyes that had been glued to the floor shot up to Nick’s face as Stephen’s back hit the doorframe. He looked surprised, but it was better than the uncertainty. Nick almost couldn’t speak when the reality of it hit him -- Stephen had made a home for him, for them, here. He’d been waiting for Nick, planning for his arrival, and apparently looking forward to seeing him again despite . . . everything.

Nick leaned forward and kissed Stephen before he could think himself out of it. Stephen froze for a moment, and Nick worried that it might be from revulsion rather than surprise that Nick had done something so unexpected, but then Stephen moved, getting his arms out from between them and around Nick, stepping closer until they were pressed together, Stephen hard and solid against him.

Nick didn’t want the kiss to end, but he had to breathe. He cradled Stephen’s face and said, “Stephen. Is this what you want? Even after . . . ?”

“Yes. But what about you? I mean, you’ve had a great shock and you’re hungry, and tired, and . . . .”

Nick shut Stephen up with another kiss. “Yes, all of that, and I need a shower besides, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You know how you said that some of the people who come here don’t take advantage of the second chance they’ve been given?”

Stephen nodded.

“I don’t want to be one of them, Stephen. I wasted a lot of time . . . before. I’m not going to waste any more. In fact, I’m going to stop wasting it right now, because I’m going to kiss you again.”

The huge smile that spread across Stephen’s face at Nick’s words made Nick braver than his own determination, so he kissed Stephen again until the very loud rumble of his stomach interrupted them.

“You should eat something,” Stephen said, still holding Nick close, “keep your strength up.”

“I probably should at that,” Nick agreed.

“You can take that shower you wanted while I heat up soup or something.”

“That sounds heavenly.”

Stephen took Nick’s hand and led him up the staircase and down the short hallway to the master bedroom. Stephen pointed to a half-closed door.

“The bathroom’s through there, and . . . .” He sighed. “This is going to make me look like a stalker, or something, but there’s clothes for you in the wardrobe.”

At Nick’s look he said, “I knew you’d be coming someday, and you’d need a change of clothes when you got here. Now just . . . take your bloody shower.”

“So when you said you had room for me,” Nick said.

“There’s the guest room, of course,” Stephen said, “but it’d be silly to waste a good king-sized bed. Unless . . . the guest room would be fine if that’s what you want.”

“It’s not what I want, Stephen. I already told you, I’m not wasting any more time.”

Nick didn’t think he’d ever seen Stephen so flustered.

“Okay. Well, then. That’s good. I’ll just. Oh, I’ve got leftover Thai takeaway! There’s a place here, even _better_ than the one at home.”

“Get out of here!”

“I’m serious!”

“No, I mean, get out of here, unless you plan on washing my back.” Nick winked at him, and a flush rose in Stephen’s cheek’s. Nick lifted the hem of the t-shirt Stephen had brought to the hospital and pulled it off over his head.

His eyes locked on Nick’s chest, Stephen took a step back and ran into the chair, then righted himself and hurried to the door. “I’ll just, uh, go and, uh . . . .”

Nick chuckled to himself at Stephen’s less than graceful exit, then finished undressing and went into the bathroom. He’d thought it would just be a quick scrub, but the warm spray pounding into his skin felt wonderful, so he stayed in longer. He took his time washing his skin and hair with Stephen’s soap and shampoo, and it gave him a little thrill that he’d smell like Stephen.

Nick dried off and tied the damp towel around his waist, and was just standing in the middle of Stephen’s bedroom, absently rubbing his chest. Stephen entered the room, then came to a quick halt and turned his back on Nick.

“Sorry!”

“Stephen,” Nick said, feeling a little warm himself as he watched the flush rise up the back of Stephen’s neck. “You’ve seen me in the altogether in the locker room plenty of times.”

“I know, but this is . . . different,” Stephen said, slowly turning back around. His eyes narrowed as his gaze focused on Nick’s hand. “What’s wrong?”

Stephen was lifting Nick’s hand away and peering closely at Nick’s chest before Nick had even registered that Stephen had moved.

“Nothing’s wrong, Stephen, it just feels . . . strange. I know it’s all in my head, since this body wasn’t even there, but I can still feel where she shot me. Like some weird sort of phantom pain.”

“I’m sorry,” Stephen said, his head bowed. “I’m sorry about Helen, and I’m sorry about us . . . .”

Nick brought up one hand and gripped Stephen’s arm. “It wasn’t your fault, Stephen. Well, sleeping with Helen, that was probably your fault, but the rest of it, I carry equal blame for.”

Stephen snorted out a soppy laugh, then leaned forward and kissed Nick’s chest, over the spot Nick had been rubbing, where he’d been shot in another world, another body. Nick’s breath caught in his throat.

“Stephen.”

“Mmm?” Stephen said, as he trailed kisses across Nick’s chest to his nipple, then licked and suckled the nub.

Nick’s entire body went tight at the sensation of Stephen’s tongue on his nipple, and his throat closed up, made it difficult to get out another word, but that didn’t stop him from whimpering when Stephen transferred his attentions to Nick’s other nipple.

Nick got his hand on the back of Stephen’s head and dragged him up until their mouths came together in a hungry, desperate kiss. Stephen’s hands landed on Nick’s hips. Nick felt his fingers flex, and then slide around his hips, squeezing his ass, and then sweeping the towel off and flinging it aside.

Nick moaned at the drag of material across his cock, then clutched at Stephen, his knees going weak when Stephen’s hand found him. Nick broke the kiss long enough to moan Stephen’s name as he pushed into Stephen’s hand.

He bit at Stephen’s lip, tasted blood, and then delved back into Stephen’s mouth. Nick pushed at Stephen until the backs of his knees hit the bed, then tumbled him down onto the mattress, following him down and blanketing him. Nick lifted himself up, fumbled with the button at Stephen’s waistband, his fingers made clumsy from the feel of Stephen’s fist around him and the need to have Stephen naked beneath him.

Nick swore out his frustration. “Damn it, Stephen.”

At Stephen’s smug grin, Nick palmed his dick through his trousers, and watched as Stephen’s eyes went dark and his back arched, his hips heedlessly pushing into Nick’s hand. Stephen said his name, and it came out rough and full of need.

Nick lowered his head and kissed Stephen, then said, “Get your bloody trousers off, Stephen.”

Nick was almost sorry when Stephen let go of him long enough to remove his clothes, but when Stephen was spread out beside him, naked, his skin flushed and warm, Nick couldn’t help but gather him close and kiss him again. The kiss quickly grew heated as their hands slid over bared skin, and the easy rocking motion become more forceful as they thrust against each other urgently.

Nick had to break the kiss as heat built in his belly. He clung to Stephen so tightly he knew he’d leave bruises, and ground against him. “Stephen.” Nick dropped his forehead to Stephen’s shoulder. “Stephen.”

“Cutter. Nick,” Stephen moaned his name, and then silently, face contorted in pleasurable pain, spilled between them.

Nick wasn’t sure whether it was the way Stephen spoke his name before he came, or seeing his lover -- his lover! Nick thought with amazement -- reach orgasm, but it sent Nick spiraling over the precipice with him.

As they lay there, allowing their muscles to regain function, their breathing to even out, Nick wondered if this was a dream. Maybe he was dead, and he was in Heaven, or his version of it. Certainly it all seemed so . . . perfect. Too easy, that Stephen would be there, waiting for him, wanting him, just when Nick realized what a fool he’d been.

The scent of something burning reached Nick’s nose, breaking into his thoughts. “Stephen, what’s that smell?”

Stephen, who had been sprawled languidly beside him, immediately sat up and leapt from the bed. “Shit! I left the Thai warming on the stove!” he said, as he ran naked, heedless of their come drying on his belly, out of the bedroom.

Nick, who’d sat up in concern when Stephen had bolted upright, lay back down. He arranged the pillows beneath him and sank into them, and then he laughed. He was sure that this moment of feeling perfectly content would pass. He would have to adapt to his new home -- new surroundings, a new job, new people, and there would be times he’d miss his friends (their friends). The only constant in his life right now was Stephen, but that was enough.

Stephen appeared in the doorway, looking sheepish. “I guess you’ll have to try the Thai another time.”

Nick smiled, remembering what he’d got instead of the Thai. “We’ve got plenty of time for that,” Nick said, and held his hand out to Stephen. “Come back to bed?”

“I thought you were hungry,” Stephen said, even as he crossed the room and slid his hand into Nick’s.

“I am,” Nick said, drawing Stephen down to join him on the mattress.

Nick had his whole life ahead of him, his second chance, they both did, and Nick wasn’t going to waste any time getting started living it.

The End


End file.
